FICTION

Little Elfie One

by Pamela JANE
illus. by Jane Manning. 32p. HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062206732.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—This variation on the popular and catchy classic children's rhyme "Over in the Meadow" changes the location to "way up in the North" and attempts to inspire the holiday spirit using many characters frequently associated with Christmas (elves, carolers, gingerbread men, etc.) and some who don't have a direct tie-in (mice, polar bears, cats). It's easy to get caught up in the sing-song rhythm, but some of the vocabulary gives it an odd ring. The gingerbread daddy has "little gingies three" and "old mommy polar" has "little polies five." Manning's watercolors are brimming with energy and humor in a seemingly slapdash style reminiscent of David Catrow. Without exception, the characters are alive and engaged in their own antics.
VERDICT A lighthearted, nonreligious read-aloud for the younger set.
Reviewed by Linda Israelson, Los Angeles Public Library
"Way up in the North / Came a knock upon the door. / Surprise! A mother caroler / And her little carolers four!" This Christmas version of "Over in the Meadow" stretches the limits of both the rhyme scheme and the holiday content: Santa, reindeer, elves, and tree ornaments make sense; not so much mice and kittens. The watercolor illustrations are warm and jolly.
 , Oct 01, 2015

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